Liz Asks: Would you ever buy fake designer bags knowingly?
Last Christmas, I was thinking of treating myself to a Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote (or a Goyard but I couldn't find any). I loved that it has a classic design, something I can wear for decades to come. It's roomy, light, and hey, it's LV! I asked a friend of mine if I should invest in that bag. She voted against it. She said people would always wonder if it's fake, and frankly, I don't want to deal with that if I'm going to blow almost P50,000 for a bag!
I mean, don't you do that too? You look at an LV and wonder if the person carrying it could actually afford it. You might even take it a step further if you know designer bags and check for signs that it could be fake. Harsh, yeah, but that's one of the reasons people buy designer things anyway. Aesthetics and quality aside, people tote a crazy expensive bag as a status symbol. You're pretty much asking to be judged. If you have the symbol but don't really have the status then it's not going to be judgment you want to hear.
Which brings me to the question: Would you ever buy fake designer bags knowingly? I saw this online store on Instagram the other day selling P1,800 Balenciaga knock-offs. I was like, seriously? Who would buy that? Apparently, a lot of people do. The seller posts pictures of her clients with their fake bags! If, by some weird twist of fate, I end up publicly carrying a knock-off designer item knowingly, I'd wear a paper bag over my head.
But that's just me. Maybe the buyers just really love the design but can only afford a copy. Perhaps that's a valid reason - almost everything in fashion is just a copy of something that came before. Just look at Zara and Forever 21! If it's okay to shop there because you like the styles lifted off the runways then surely it's okay to carry a fake designer bag because you like the style.
However, there's another factor to consider when you buy exact knock-offs of expensive bags: the pretense that you can afford it.
Clothes are mixed together to reflect your personal style, but when you carry a designer bag then it is what it is. The brand is prominently displayed, like a silent shout out to the world that you have the money to indulge yourself. But when it's fake and you try to pass it off as real then...that's kinda sad. The people you want to impress will know that it's fake. Don't kid yourself. Don't dig a hole and dive into it.
If you have money to blow on a bag, just get one that's of good quality, something not too common while describing your lifestyle perfectly. Don't pretend you have more money than you do because there lies the road to misery.
How about you, would you ever buy fake designer bags knowingly? Why or why not?
